Illuminated measuring device



July 235 1935. F. H. SCANTLEBURY 2,009,210

ILLUMINATED MEASURING' DEVICE l Filed March lO, 1932 3 Sheets-Sheet FIG. d.

l N V E NTQR Franc/.s H. Sca/nkury BY (l ATTORNEY July 23, 1935. F. H. scANTLEBURY ILLUMINATED MEASURING DEVICE Filed March 10, 1932 .3 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIGS FIG.5

FIG?

` INVENTOR Franc/'s H. conf/bury lll/II ATTORNEY July 23, .1935.

F. H. SCANTLEBURY ILLUMINATED MEASURING DEVICE Filed March l0, 1932 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR Fra/Mis 5mn/@Sary BY l ATTRNY Patented July 23, 193s UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ILLUMINATED MEASURING DEVICE Francis H. Scantlebury, Brooklyn, N. Y.

Application March 10, 1932, Serial No. 598,004

, 11 Claims.

The invention relates to illuminated devices, as of the edge-lighted or back-lighted type and embodying one or more sheets of transparent glass or other transparent or translucent or perforated opaque material bearing suitable designs or configurations .a part of which, at least,vis constituted by subdivisions for association with an element caused to move relatively thereto. The said configurations may be etched or sandblasted into the -surface of a glass plate when utilized and in which case they are illuminated by refracted light entering one or more edgesA of the glass, or, the configurations may be otherwise provided on a plate with the light directed therethrough from the rear of said plate.

'I'he invention, for example, may embody illuminated time pieces, measuring apparatus, etc., and is especially adaptable to synchronous electric motor operated time pieces wherein the power 2li for effecting the'operation of the time piece may also serve to provide the desired illumination.

The invention has for an object to effectively associate illuminated configurations of a dial or like plate with a movable member or members 25,.and in a manner such that these will also be clearly visible when the dial member is illurninated, making the device particularly suitable for use is darkened surroundings, as Well as in daylight when the device is not illuminated.

A further object of theinvention resides in a Asimple and inexpensive'construction which may readily be adapted, for example, to timepieces of standard construction, and particularly to electrically operatedtime pieces.

be understood when described in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. l is afi-ont. elevation of the novel illuminated device as embodied in a clock.v

Fig. 2 is a plan thereof with portion of the cover broken away tozdisclo'se the interior, a portion of which isfsh'ownjin horizontal section.

Fig. 3 isa-vertical' section through the device and' taken on the line 3,-3, of Fig. 1. y

Fig. 4 is a perspectivcview of a frame member utilized for mounting'various elements comprising the illuminated-portion of the device.

Fig. 5 is'a vertical section through the device and illustrates a modification.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary vertical section illustrating a further modification.

Fig. 'l is a fragmentary vertical section through the device and illustrates a different way of providing the configurations as well as a different manner of effecting. the illumination thereof.

The nature of the invention, however, will best Y Fig. 8 is a similarview illustrating a furthery modification therein, and Fig. 9 is a fragmentary perspective view of the face of the device.

Fig. 10 is fragmentary vertical section of a still further modification; and Figs. 11-13 illus- 5 trate the configurations and background provided substantially in the same plane.

Referring to the drawings, the invention is illustrated as embodied in a time piece, more particularly of the synchronous electric motor op-l I0 erated type, although the invention is not to be understood as being restricted to clocks of this type, as the ordinary spring-operated clock may also be employed, particularly where alternating current is not available. Also, the invention is applicable to other measuring apparatus embodying a scale or the like and a member movable ln relation thereto. f

In carrying out the invention, one or more transparent plates of glass or other transparent or translucent or perforated opaque material serves to close in whole or in part the front of a suitable case or cabinet for housing the driving mechanism of the movable member or members to be associated with suitable configurations or divisions provided upon said plate or plates constituting the dial. These configurations may be provided for and illuminated in the case of glass, for example, substantially in the manner more particularly set forth in a prior U. S. Letters Patent #1,707,965, granted. to me the 2nd day of April, 1929; or they may be outlined on a plate or provided by stencil cuttings or` periorations therein. l,

Back of this plate or plates and offset therefrom is located'a background member which is to be suiiiciently displaced in any suitable manner from the inner face of the glass plate or plates to afford acompartment-for accommodating the movable element or elements ;v and a shaft or arbor for moving the saine is then arranged to project through the background member into the compartmentl thus provided and within which said movableelement or elements then moves in juxtapositi'on to the divisions and/or configurations upon the dial plateI and are visible therethrough.

Provision is also made, as through a lamp or lamps located in the casing, whereby to illuminate simultaneously the plate or plates and the compartment. The moving element and background, moreover, are provided in contrasting colors so that when the compartment is thus illuminated the said element or elements will be prominently displayed against the illuminated background and will always be clearly visible. 55

Furthermore, the background member may beso as to retain also the plate elements andlampifdesiredandwill affordthus acompact unit for association with the driving mechanism, both unit and mechanism being located within the case or cabinet housing the driving means for the movable member or members.

The entire including the motor IU, is shown as housed within a suitable cabinet or the like II molmted upon a base I2. The front wall I3 o1' the cabinet k provided with an aperture Il to the face or dial of the clock, said o in the present instance being square,

` but, of course, the particular design of the opening may be varied as desired.

Through this aperture Il is visible a dial plate I5 carrying the desired design or congurations such as the time subdivisions or numerals I6 and any other ornamentation or the like as may be desired. Through the central portion of this dial and the aperture M arealso visible the hands l'I and I'I' of the clock, the same being mounted upon arbors I8 and I9 driven from the clock I0 in the usual manner.

The dial l5 isin the nature of a plate closing the front of the housing and in the present t is a transparent plate oi' glass in which the configurations I6 are etched as by sand-blasting or the like, and as is more particularly t forth in my aforaid prior U. S. Letters Patent, to provide the desired design.

Where a multi-color design is desired, a plurality of transparent plates and 2|, Fig. 6, are provided. each plate carrying the particular conguration for making up the composite design and being colored along their respective edges with the desired color with which the particular tions making up the composite design are to be illuminated, all of'which isfully set -forth in my said prior patent. The central portion of plate i5 in either case is free of contigurations and remains clear to render visible therethrough the hands H and I'I' which arearranged in iimtaposed relationship, in the present emhodiment, with the time subdivisions I6 shown as the hour of the clock, no minute 'divisions being indicated.

These, however, may be provided intermediate the hour but would be of the same color as such subdivisions. The minute subdivisions may, if desired, be provided in a diilerent color from the hour subdivisions, reference being had to Fig. (i of the drawings, by providing such subdivisions 22 in the plate 20 and the hour subdivisions 23 in the plate 2I.

In order that the hands of the clock may be clearly visible at all times, particularly in darkened sono a background member is to be associated therewith, the same being provided, for by a frame member embodying the forward wall 25 of opaque material and serving as a backing for the outer portion of the plate I5 and its configurations, which plate may also be retained by the frame as through the provision of anges 26-21 and 28 directed outwardly from its corrponding side edges and top edge, while lips 28 directed outwardly from the bottom edge anord a support for the said platen Furthermore, a clamp 30 may extend backwardly from the lower edge to aiford a support 'or tlm lamp socket 3| carrying the illuminating element or electric lamp 32. This lamp, of course,

must be located in proximity to one of the edgesV of he plate I5 in order that light may be directed therethrough to illuminate the cong'urations thereon, and in thepresent embodiment is shown as located beneath the lower edge of the plate.

The frame member is also extended backwardly from an aperture therein which is coaxial with the aperture I I o1' the housing and registers with the central clear portion of plate I5. A box-like extension is thereby afforded of which the background wall 36 is displaced from the forward border portion 25 of the frame member as well as from the plate I5 carried thereby; said plate and background wall thus forming there` between a light chamber 3 1 within which the hands II and Il' may operate.- -An opening 38 is provided also in this background wall portion to pass the arbors I8 and I of the clock mechanism for moving the said hands.

This frame member thus affords a very convenient one-piece support for the said plate I5 as well as the lamp 32 and may be held to the housing, for example, the top thereof, as by means of an attaching lug 39 which may be screwed to s id housing top, the lips 29 resting upon supports' 29' extending backwardly from the lower portion of the cabinet Il.

The lower wall of the box-like extension is cut away or preferably left entirely open, as indicated in Fig. 3 oi the drawings, so that rays of light from the lamp 32 will also be directed upwardly into the chamber 3l simultaneously with the illumination of the conilgurations of plate I5. By directing light into the chamber 31, the forward face of the background member 36 will be llllnninated; and if this face be provided in a color contrasting with the color of the hands Il and I1' of the clock, the latter will stand out distinctly with reference to the eld provided by the background member and thus will be visible at all times. For example, the face of the background member may be white or of a light color while the hands are black or of a dark color.

A very eiIective type of clock device results from this combination of the time subdivisions I 6 in any desired color, each subdivision being individually illuminated, and juxtaposed with respect to the hands I1 and I'I' which stand out prominently againstthe background 36.

In Fig. 5 a modification is illustrated in 'connection with the illumination of the congurations Il! on the transparent plate 4 I, the said plate at its lower edge being bevelled as at 42 and said portion being either polished or provided with a mirrored surface in order to reiiect upwardly light from the lamp 43. In this embodiment, the lamp is located entirely below the opening 44 of the box-like structure 45 affording a background member I6 and light chamber 41 in which operate the hands I8 of the clock device 49.

Various other modifications in the designl and arrangement in the mounting of the plate, the light chamber and background member will suggest themselves.

For example-instead of edge-lighting lthe configuration-bearing plate, the congurations thereof may be vback-lighted. Thus, reference being had to F'lg. 7 of the drawings, a plate 50 may have the configurations 5I etched therein but the sur= rounding portions painted over paint;

with an opaque or they may be provided through the use vof a decalcomanla applied to the back of the located illuminating means such as the lamps 83 located behind the conflgurationfbearing portion of plate 50. 'Ihe configurations will thus be illuminated simultaneously with the compartment in which the hands move, said hands being located in front of the background member 54 illuminated also by said lamps and being of a color contrasting with that of the hands. The background member in this instance is of a dished form with opening 55 provided centrally in its bottom for admitting the arbors 56 and 51 of the hands, the sides of the dished member fitting between the top and bottom of the housing member 58. The lamps 53 may also be supported by the bottom of the dished member, as shown, as upon suitable brackets 59 attached thereto.

A simplified form of the novel device is indicated in Figs. 8 and 9 of the drawings wherein the plate and background member are constituted as a unit and are preferably of opaque material such as metal. The configurations are then provided by stencilling-or perforating the metal, for example, in the provision of the perforations 6D. As the central portion of the configuration-bearing plate is displaced rearwardly to afford the background 6|, the hands 62 will be visible from the front of the cabinet 63. Slots 64 are provided lin the top and bottom respectively of the displaced portion to admit light into the light chamber 65 for illumination of the background plate 6| from lamps 68.

These lamps are located also immediately behind the perforations 60 vto direct light therethrough, it being preferable to utilize perforations rather than stencils as the latter would generally transmit an undesirable amount of light. If it be desired to have these configurations in color, an annular color screen member 61 may be located betweenlamps 66 and the perforations 60. The said lamps are attached, for example, to the top and bottom of the cabinet by brackets 68, and the entire structure may be inexpensively provided and is conveniently installed in a cabinet or the like.

If it be desired to provide the configurations in a transparent or translucent plate rather than as stencilled or perforated elements, the plate and background unit may be provided of transparentJ material such as a dished glass member having the flange 10 about the central portion constituted by the side wall 'Il and bottom 12, the latter being perforated centrally to pass the drivlng arbors 13 and 14 for the hands 15 and 15, respectively. These hands then rotate within the bowl portion, and the background or bottom 12 may be illuminated by light directed through the sides, While the configurations may be similarly illuminated by light placed behind the same in case they are of the nature of the configurations set forth in Fig. '7. It is preferred, however, to.

edge-illuminate these configurations 11 as well as the bottom 12 and to this end a lamp 18 may be provided in proximity to the flanged portion for directing light therethrough to the configurations 11 which are then to be etched therein similarly to the arrangement set forth in. Figs. 1-6.

The lamp, at the same time, will transmit light 1 through the side wall and bottom edge so, that the bottom itself, especially if etched, will be illuminated and provide a satisfactory and illuminated background contrasting with the hands 18 and 16. l

Moreover, the sides may also be etched or they may be entirely covered by an opaque paint or other material so that only the bottom and the configurations will be illuminated. 'I'his presents a very effective arrangement and may be also inexpensively constructed.

A further means for constituting the configuration-bearing element and the background member as a unit is illustrated in Figs. l1-13. inclusive. These figures further disclose the background and configuration-bearing portion as lying in one and the same plane. For example, the front aperture of a case may be closed by a plate 8| of transparent glass behind which is located the combined configuration-bearing element and background member. As indicated, this unit comprises a plate 82 of transparent material such as glass and in which the time subdivisions 83 have been etched in the usual manner. In addition, the central portion of this plate'82 is etched or frosted as at 84 and the said frosted ,portion is centrally perforated as at 85 to pass therethrough the driving arbors 86 and 81 for the respective hour and minute hands 88 and 89, said arbors being driven from suitable clock mechanism contained Within the casing 98. The etching or frosting of the central field portion 84 is preferably to a depth less than that of the configurations 83 surrounding the same and the configurations, particularly over the upper portion of the plate, will therefore receive ample illumination from a suitable lamp or the like 9| located in t'he base 92 of the case 80 and beneath the lower edge of the plate 82.

This edge-illumination of the plate will serve to a more or less degree to illuminate the central or field portion which in the present instance is shown as a centrally disposed square surrounded by a clear portion of the glass and in which are disposed the configurations or time subdivisions 83. It is desirable, however, to increase the illumination of this central or field portion and in front of which the hands 88.and 89 are adapted to move.

To this end, provision is made for backlighting this central portion as in the provision of a reflector element which may be constituted by a cut-out iiap or the like 93 from a strip of sheet metal or like opaque material 94 backing the glass plate 82 and secured thereto, for example, by means of a suitable adhesive or the like. This plate affordsvalso a means for securing the plate to the case 80 as by means of the bracket 95; and the flap 93 is also perforated to pass the arbors 86 and 81 of the clock mechanism. By bending back this flap at an angle, substantially as shown, a space will be provided between the bottom edge of the flap and the strip of metal to admit light from the lamp 9|. Furthermore, the surface of the flap may be polished so that'the same will serve to reflect this light to the frosted or etched portion 84 and effect the desired illumination thereof.

Thus, not only will the numerals or time subdivisions 83 on the plate 82 be illuminated, but an illuminated background or field 84 for the hands 88 and 89 is provided, both, however, lying substantially in the same plane rather than being displaced from each other as Vin the previously described embodiments.

I claim:

1. An illuminated device comprising a housing, a measuring member mounted therein and embodying a movable element, a transparent glass plate closing the forward 'portion of the housing, having etched configurations located in juxtaposition to the movable element and having an edge beveled and provided with a reflecting sur- 75 face to direct light through said plate, a back= ground member located behind said plate and displaced therefrom to afford a light chamber therebetween for accommodating the movement of the movable element, and an electric lamp locatedin proximity to the beveled edge of the plate to illuminato its configurations and also the said light chamber.

2. An illuminated device comprising a housing, a measuring member mounted therein and'embodying a driving element, a transparent plate closing the forward portion of the housing` and having etched congurations, a frame member mounted within the housing provided with a flange for retaining the plate, the ange along the lower edge being cut away in part to expose a portion ofthe lower edge of said plate, and the said frame being provided with a rearwardly directed box-like extension, the back wall oi the same being provided with an opening to admit the driving element bf the measuring member, a movable element secured to the outer end of the driving element for movement within the boxllike extension, said rear wall of the extension and movable element being of constrasting colors and the'bottom of the extension being apertured to admit iight into the extension, and an electric lamp located beneath the frame member for directing light to the exposed edge of the plate and for illuminating the interior of the extension.

3. An illuminated device, comprising a coniiguration bearing element, an element movable in juxtaposition to the configurations and before a eld surrounded by the congurations, said eld and element being in contrasting colors, and means common to the congurations and to the eld and movable element to illuminate said eld and element and to edge-illuminate the configurations.

4. An illuminated device, comprising a conguration-bearing element, an element movable in juxtaposition to the configurations and before a iield contrasting in color therewith and all forming a visible ensemble, and means located out of said visible ensembleV and associated with the configurations and the eld and movable element to illuminate only the saidvcongurations on the conguration-bearing element and to cast light upon the movable element and the eld.

l5. An illuminated device, comprising a conguration-bearing element, a contrasting background member Ior the said congurations, an

element movable in juxtaposition to the congurations andbefore a eld contrasting in color therewith and all forming a visible ensemble, and means located out of said visible ensemble and associated with the congurations and the 'iield and movable element to illuminate onLv the said conigin'ations on the conguration-bearing element and tocast light upon the movable element and the eld. A

6. An illuminated device, comprising a xed, configuration-bearing element, an elementmovable in juxtaposition to the congurationsand i before a xed iield displaced axially from the configuration-bearing element, the field and movable element being in contrasting colors and all forming a visible ensemble, means located out of said ensemble to move said movable element, and illuminating means to illuminate the el'd, the movable element and only the individual coniigurations on said configuration-bearing element.

7. An illuminated device, comprising a contiguiation-bearing element and a background element aiording a eld displaced therefrom and both forming component parts of a visible en-- semble, an element contrasting with and movable before the said eld and in juxtaposition to the congurations of the configuration-bearing eiement, means located out of said visible ensemble to move said movable element, and means located out of said visible ensemble and associated with the conguration-bearing element, the background element and the movable element to illuminate said iield, the movable element and only the individual cohgurations on said coniiguration-bearing element.

8. An illuminated device, comprising a con- :figuration-bearing element and a background elei ment aiording a field displacedtherefrom and both forming component parts of a visible ensemble, an element contrasting with and movable before the said field and in juxtaposition to the congurations of the conguration-bearlng element, and means located out of said visible ensemble and associated with the comiguration bearing element, the background element and the y movable element to illuminate said eld and said said movable element and to edge-illuminate the said configurations.

9. An illuminated device, comprising a background element aiording a eld, a light-transmitting plate in front of said background element and having etched congurations, an element contrasting with and movable before the said field and in juxtaposition to the congurations of the light-transmitting plate, means located behind soV tbe background element to move said movable element, and means associated with the lighttransmitting plate, the background element and vthe movable element to illuminate said eld and movable element and to edge-illuminate'the said etched configurations.

10. An illuminated device, comprising a housing, a background element mounted therein and aiording a held, a light-transmitting plate in front of said background element and closing the forward portion of the housing, said plate bearing etched configurations, an element contrasting with the said eld and movable between said background element andthe light-transmitting plate in juxtaposition to the congurations thereof, and means mounted within the housing to illuminate said eld andV movable element and to edge-illuminate the said etched configurations.

1l. An illuminated device, comprising a housing, a background element mounted Vtherein and aiording a eld, a light-transmitting plate in front of said background element and closing the forward portion of the housing, said plate bear- 

